The Great Rip Off

September 25th, 2014

Global Witness investigations and campaigns have shown how anonymously owned companies act as getaway cars for the criminal and corrupt all over the world. America is at the heart of this problem, and it is hurting American interests.

Owners of anonymous companies registered in the U.S. are ripping off innocent people and businesses across America. Drawing on 22 cases involving anonymous companies from 27 states, The Great Rip Off shows how fraudsters, mobsters, money-launderers, tax-evaders and corrupt politicians are able to use anonymously-owned American companies to cover their tracks and evade the authorities.

America is one of the easiest places in the world to set up an anonymously-owned company. In many states, you need less identification to set up a company than you do to get a library card.

We are a pioneering global network of organizations working on illicit financial flows. We use our wide reach and expertise to influence global norms and standards for financial transparency, and close loopholes in the global financial system. We seek to curtail illicit financial flows through the promotion of a transparent, accountable and sustainable financial system that works for everyone.